Breathable rain jacket

I sweat climbing when it's 2°C out. I have a rain jacket for when its lightly raining out, but there's so much moisture inside the jacket after the climb. I would love to be like my riding buddies that wear whatever and don't sweat, hell they even complain about being cold sometimes! What do you sweaters wear?

I rank breathability>wind resistance>water proofedness in my jacket (soft shell with pit zips and hood).  The key to comfort for me is having a merino wool jersey or base layer underneath.  I get wet but I stay cozy and regulate with the pit zips and hood on or off.  I bring 3 pairs of gloves of varying warmth levels along and switch them up when needed.

I need to find a winter glove that's insulated and wind resistant but has a thin enough palm so I've got decent bar feel.  Riding in my wool gloves is meh.

Posted by: Ouch

I sweat climbing when it's 2°C out. I have a rain jacket for when its lightly raining out, but there's so much moisture inside the jacket after the climb. I would love to be like my riding buddies that wear whatever and don't sweat, hell they even complain about being cold sometimes! What do you sweaters wear?

That probably says a lot about the breathability of your jacket. Cheaper membranes might be breathable enough for walking around town but nowhere close to enough for riding. I'm surprised by how many people wear 3-ply hardshells for riding.

My engine runs pretty hot and I get sweaty inside any rain jacket. My partner used to work for a high-end outdoor brand a long time ago and I tried most of their goretex shells, even the lightest and supposedly most breathable turns into a sauna for me.

So I only use a waterproof jacket if I expect to ride in a downpour, or in steady rain for many hours. In light rain I use a light non-waterproof windbreaker which seems to hit the right balance for me of keeping me warm and kind-of-dry-for-a-while and doesn't make me sweat too much. The right combination of layers underneath helps a lot too, depeding on conditions one or more thin merino layers for me.

For the occasional times I'm home and riding in the cold I just wear the same thing I always have: Thin merino underlayer and a windbreaker vest. Regardless of how low the temps get. Last ride was -11 and I was still hot lol- not sweaty or wet though. Shell in my pack always just seems to stays there.

Somebody here will have a better absolutely dialed system though. My wife just got some alpaca gear, that stuff is on a different level than merino.

I rather like my Brisker gloves too, on my second pair.

Posted by: [email protected]

My engine runs pretty hot and I get sweaty inside any rain jacket. My partner used to work for a high-end outdoor brand a long time ago and I tried most of their goretex shells, even the lightest and supposedly most breathable turns into a sauna for me.

So I only use a waterproof jacket if I expect to ride in a downpour, or in steady rain for many hours. In light rain I use a light non-waterproof windbreaker which seems to hit the right balance for me of keeping me warm and kind-of-dry-for-a-while and doesn't make me sweat too much. The right combination of layers underneath helps a lot too, depeding on conditions one or more thin merino layers for me.

Me too. I really wish someone would make a gore-tex vest (with a long/tall option of course). A vest would nail the sweet spot between coverage/warmth and maximum mobility for 99% of my winter riding. And not a micro thin road vest either, a proper mountain bike garment.

Been wearing a vest riding probably since seeing Wade in one in 2000. Fanboi.

As a schoolboy wore one everyday through winter before that. Just get claustrophobic when sweaty.

A purpose made durable MTB vest would be rad.

waterproof (resistant) vests:

https://www.cascadewear.com/Vest-NOPI-Gore-Tex

https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_ca/crew-vest-30270?color=291445

https://www.stormlinegear.com/product/stormtex-985g-waterproof-farming-vest/

https://www.pactimo.com/products/torrent-stretch-waterproof-cycling-vest-mens

yeah you either get wet from sweat or the rain

I bought Entrant touring gear from MEC about 10 yrs ago it has big zippers from waist to arm pit that open to vent so it was keeping the water out while doing a lot of venting

I did have a chance to use it in a very  bad storm on  tour in yurp and the system worked pretty good

Posted by: craw

Posted by: [email protected]

My engine runs pretty hot and I get sweaty inside any rain jacket. My partner used to work for a high-end outdoor brand a long time ago and I tried most of their goretex shells, even the lightest and supposedly most breathable turns into a sauna for me.

So I only use a waterproof jacket if I expect to ride in a downpour, or in steady rain for many hours. In light rain I use a light non-waterproof windbreaker which seems to hit the right balance for me of keeping me warm and kind-of-dry-for-a-while and doesn't make me sweat too much. The right combination of layers underneath helps a lot too, depeding on conditions one or more thin merino layers for me.

Me too. I really wish someone would make a gore-tex vest (with a long/tall option of course). A vest would nail the sweet spot between coverage/warmth and maximum mobility for 99% of my winter riding. And not a micro thin road vest either, a proper mountain bike garment.

Think back in 98 Ingrid made some of her vests in Ultrex. Recall she made some jackets that had been as short sleeve.

Hmm...believe Andrew M mentioned a somewhere about taking his older jackets and getting them tailored to be more of a Roach or Core Rat style vest. Just a thought might be some gear maker out there who is making something like this but is little known in this part of the planet.

I have a wool allergy (even merino), so that's not an option. Even at 0°C, within 10-15 minutes of climbing in a thin Tshirt I'm sweating. The current jacket I have is very light weight, breathability is supposed be good (with pit zips). I don't NEED any warmth, just something to keep me dryer. Maybe with my furnace body, there's nothing out there? Guess I could experiment with a vest.

Filson or Duluth

Posted by: Ouch

I have a wool allergy (even merino), so that's not an option. Even at 0°C, within 10-15 minutes of climbing in a thin Tshirt I'm sweating. The current jacket I have is very light weight, breathability is supposed be good (with pit zips). I don't NEED any warmth, just something to keep me dryer. Maybe with my furnace body, there's nothing out there? Guess I could experiment with a vest.

I run hot as well. The weatherproof vest was experience changing for me. I just hack up my last jacket so they’re never as waterproof as a new one would be. But good enough - it has no sleeves.

Even in a deluge I’ll wear it over my hoody and ride. Can’t remember the last time I mountain biked in jacket. Though I do have a nice 7Mesh jacket for life (a future vest as I refer to it).

I’d actually like a soft shell neoshell vest. Taped and stretchy. Not as weatherproof as my GoreActuve vest but again, no arms.

Posted by: rnayel

waterproof (resistant) vests:

https://www.cascadewear.com/Vest-NOPI-Gore-Tex

https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_ca/crew-vest-30270?color=291445

https://www.stormlinegear.com/product/stormtex-985g-waterproof-farming-vest/

https://www.pactimo.com/products/torrent-stretch-waterproof-cycling-vest-mens

That Helly Hansen one looks like a winner! The great thing about riding vests is that if they're a little short in the body it really doesn't matter :)